8 Vitamins & Minerals That Boost Your Immune System During COVID-19

Posted by
DCS Team Member
on April 03, 2020

Boosting your immune system is great
all the time, but at a time when a compromised immune system from the
“coronavirus” or COVID-19 can have major negative effects, it’s more important
than ever. Here are eight vitamins and minerals that you may or may not know
can help boost your immune system and fight off incoming infections.

1) Vitamin C

Vitamin C has a known connection to the
immune system. It’s one of the most common vitamins we can all take to boost
our immune systems to fight off sickness. Did you know you can get it from much
more than just citrus fruits? Leafy green vegetables such as spinach and kale, Brussel
sprouts, and strawberries are also great sources.

2) Vitamin E

Like vitamin C,
vitamin E can be a
powerful antioxidant that helps your body fight off infection. You can
supplement with vitamin E capsules or you can get it from snacks like almonds,
peanuts, hazelnuts, and sunflower seeds.

3) Vitamin D

You can easily get most of your
vitamins from food, but
vitamin D may be the exception to that rule. While you
can increase your intake through fatty fish (salmon, mackerel,
tuna, and sardines) and other foods such as fortified milk, orange juice, and cereals.
Unfortunately, many people have a hard time absorbing vitamin D from food, so
supplements might be a better option.

Of course you can also stimulate your
internal vitamin D production by exposing your skin to sunlight. But with many
of us sheltering indoors, this might not be the safest thing to do. Under
normal conditions, aim for 10-30 minutes of midday sunlight several times a
week. Adjust your time according to how sensitive your skin is so that you don’t
burn.

4) Vitamin A

Don’t forget about
vitamin A! The body
turns the colorful compounds called carotenoids in certain food into vitamin A,
and they have an antioxidant effect to help strengthen the immune system
against infection. You can find vitamin A in carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin,
cantaloupe, and squash.

5) Folic Acid

Folic acid is often added to foods
because of its major health benefits. You can get folic acid in fortified foods
such as enriched bread, certain kinds of pasta, rice, and other 100 percent
whole-grain products.

6) Zinc

Zinc appears to help slow down the
immune response and control inflammation in your body. You can find zinc in
oysters, crab, lean meats and poultry, baked beans (skip the kind with added
sugar), yogurt, and chickpeas.

7) Iron

Iron helps your body carry oxygen to
cells and comes in different forms. You can take supplements or look for this
immune defender in your own kitchen. Your body can easily absorb “heme iron,”
which is abundant in proteins like chicken, turkey, and seafood. You can also
get other forms of iron in beans, broccoli, and kale.

8) Selenium

Selenium is another one that seems to
have a powerful effect on the immune system! It is known to have the potential
to slow the body’s over-active responses to certain aggressive infections. You
can find it in garlic, broccoli, sardines, tuna, Brazil nuts, and barley.

We realize that many of us are
adjusting our diets due to restrictions on going anywhere, including regular
trips to the grocery store and restaurants. When you compound that with many
business closures, depleted food supplies, and personal financial hardships, eating
a balanced, healthy diet might not seem like a priority. So when eating right
takes a back seat to life-changing circumstances, remember why the supplement
industry exists – to supplement your diet with beneficial nutrients and
compounds that your regular food intake doesn’t supply.

After all, quality nutrients, however
you get them, go a long way to bolster the immune system so it can take on
pathogens, allergens, and toxins as intended.